Comments on: Sex workers call for boycott of 'Grand Theft Auto'

Organization cries foul over players accruing points "for the depiction of rape and murder of prostitutes."

[mortis9]

lesson for parents to teach their kids

how about this: instead of suing after the fact because your kid is playing a violent video game, you take up the role of parent and explain that this is just a game (most kids already realize this). Perhaps you might also point out that the video game companies do far less harm than companies like GAP (who exploit child labor) and Exxon-Mobil (who exploit third world countries and governments, aiding in destabilization of whole regions) and companies like Oracle (who don't blink twice after firing 50,000 employees because buying up the competition is good everyone (???)).

Parent's should need a license and guidebook... my two cents.

[Bill Dautrive]

That is insane

Parents taking responsibility for thier children. Such rubbish!!! :P

[mortis9]

lesson for parents to teach their kids

how about this: instead of suing after the fact because your kid is playing a violent video game, you take up the role of parent and explain that this is just a game (most kids already realize this). Perhaps you might also point out that the video game companies do far less harm than companies like GAP (who exploit child labor) and Exxon-Mobil (who exploit third world countries and governments, aiding in destabilization of whole regions) and companies like Oracle (who don't blink twice after firing 50,000 employees because buying up the competition is good everyone (???)).

Parent's should need a license and guidebook... my two cents.

[Bill Dautrive]

That is insane

Parents taking responsibility for thier children. Such rubbish!!! :P

[thedreaming]

I have questions

Why is everyone getting so upset over a game? Doesn't the game have an M Rating? Doesn't this mean that only adults can purchase this game?

More questions enter my mind...

Sex workers? Don't you mean hookers? Since when have they had a union or any sort of organization other than a pimp and a goon with no neck, a unibrow and a gun?

Even more questions arrive...

Why should I care if some hookers are offended by a game? Does everyone know it's just a game and no one is forcing anyone to buy it?

Two more questions...

Is a head nurse what I think she is? Is she a sex worker then?

Okay, I'm done now. 8)

[thedreaming]

I have questions

Why is everyone getting so upset over a game? Doesn't the game have an M Rating? Doesn't this mean that only adults can purchase this game?

More questions enter my mind...

Sex workers? Don't you mean hookers? Since when have they had a union or any sort of organization other than a pimp and a goon with no neck, a unibrow and a gun?

Even more questions arrive...

Why should I care if some hookers are offended by a game? Does everyone know it's just a game and no one is forcing anyone to buy it?

Two more questions...

Is a head nurse what I think she is? Is she a sex worker then?

Okay, I'm done now. 8)

[rtaggert]

Gamers are not just getting older.

Gamers are getting older and the new crop of M (Mature) rated titles shares the motifs of popular mature media. Among the most popular of the M rated games is Grand Theft Auto. The effects of heavy gaming on sensation seekers certianly include sleep deprivation. Not as closely tied to antisocial behavior as recently thought, avatars and other aspects of gaming may not pose a threat to the psychological well being (such as identity formation) in healthy children. However, gaming media is likely to shape attitudes and opinions much like other media. The messages in the new crop of M rated media tends to be lowest common denominator, but the market for this media is moved by shock value. M rated media does appear to produce meta-messages that are often derogatory. Will M rated games become less accessible to children and young adults then other mature media?

[zaznet]

Mature Content

Teens will certainly seek out this sort of content. It is up to the parents to get involved to understand where it is coming from and prevent it from being their child that accesses it.

Don't worry though, Congress will overstep it's bounds again and make another needless law to govern a set few titles of video games...

[rtaggert]

Gamers are not just getting older.

Gamers are getting older and the new crop of M (Mature) rated titles shares the motifs of popular mature media. Among the most popular of the M rated games is Grand Theft Auto. The effects of heavy gaming on sensation seekers certianly include sleep deprivation. Not as closely tied to antisocial behavior as recently thought, avatars and other aspects of gaming may not pose a threat to the psychological well being (such as identity formation) in healthy children. However, gaming media is likely to shape attitudes and opinions much like other media. The messages in the new crop of M rated media tends to be lowest common denominator, but the market for this media is moved by shock value. M rated media does appear to produce meta-messages that are often derogatory. Will M rated games become less accessible to children and young adults then other mature media?

[zaznet]

Mature Content

Teens will certainly seek out this sort of content. It is up to the parents to get involved to understand where it is coming from and prevent it from being their child that accesses it.

Don't worry though, Congress will overstep it's bounds again and make another needless law to govern a set few titles of video games...

[rtaggert]

Violence and children

Exposure to violent media in early childhood has been show to correlate with violent behavior in adulthood. The longitudinal studies on children and violence I refer to do not include console games and focused on children between 4-7 years of age. The controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto spans from its content to its effects on children, however, gamers age 4-7 are unlikely to be playing M rated games.

[rtaggert]

Violence and children

Exposure to violent media in early childhood has been show to correlate with violent behavior in adulthood. The longitudinal studies on children and violence I refer to do not include console games and focused on children between 4-7 years of age. The controversy surrounding Grand Theft Auto spans from its content to its effects on children, however, gamers age 4-7 are unlikely to be playing M rated games.

[Blito]

Open it up!

If you open source it and put it under a GPL or Creative Commons I don't think you have to put it under ESRB. I haven't seen these types of 'free' games rated. So you get more feedback from the customer and if someone doesn't like certain scenes there would be more control over content.
This way all the responsibility doesn't just lie with the manufacturer.

[Blito]

Open it up!

If you open source it and put it under a GPL or Creative Commons I don't think you have to put it under ESRB. I haven't seen these types of 'free' games rated. So you get more feedback from the customer and if someone doesn't like certain scenes there would be more control over content.
This way all the responsibility doesn't just lie with the manufacturer.

[nightveil]

It's Seduction of the Innocent all over again

Which is too bad. I'd hoped we'd progressed beyond this sort of
idiotic drivel.

[nightveil]

It's Seduction of the Innocent all over again

Which is too bad. I'd hoped we'd progressed beyond this sort of
idiotic drivel.

[skeptik]

just wrong on so many levels.

You can rape the hookers? Cool! I'm going out to buy it tonight!

Seriously isn't this kind of like drug dealers boycotting the beer companies because it gives kids the wrong idea about recreational use of mind altering substances?
Prostitution is illegal almost everywhere in the US. So we've got a group of criminals boycotting a legal expression of free speach... yeah right.

[skeptik]

just wrong on so many levels.

You can rape the hookers? Cool! I'm going out to buy it tonight!

Seriously isn't this kind of like drug dealers boycotting the beer companies because it gives kids the wrong idea about recreational use of mind altering substances?
Prostitution is illegal almost everywhere in the US. So we've got a group of criminals boycotting a legal expression of free speach... yeah right.